It was honours even on the opening day in the SCEFL Premier in the Star Meadow sunshine as Hollands & Blair and Holmesdale shared the points. 

Both managers would have left the ground possibly frustrated at “only” getting a point but in reflection honours even was probably about right after a rare howler from Blair keeper Dan Ellis gifted the visitors the early lead only for Chris Edwards to coolly despatch a spot kick in the increasing heat. Dean Grant then put Blair in front with an incredibly early contender for Goal of the Season to give the home side the half time lead – Lewis Heywood levelling the scores midweek through a cagier second period. 

Dale keeper Cameron Hall will have been pleased that his first save of the season was such a good one as Blair had the new seasons first chance – the keeper brilliantly denying Aaron Simpson before Taylor Fisher’s follow-up was well blocked. 

Ellis was not so fortunate as somehow, he let Heywood’s seventh minute shot elude him, and the ball almost apologetically rolled into Blairs net after kissing the right post – a post that Blairs keeper took his frustration on! 

The away side had some unexpected momentum and looked to build on it – Heywood headed a good chance wide from a corner and Adrien Brown was denied by a really good and brave Ellis save after skipping behind the home defence. 

Blair were soon level after a clumsy challenge on Grant saw referee Bush point to the spot despite loud and long home protests – Edwards remained calm and rolled the ball into the bottom corner from twelve yards sending Hall the wrong way – all this in the opening seventeen minutes! 

The game settled into some routine and a lovely flow until that is Blair defender Rob Gillman went down with a nasty gash on his left eye lid which left the defender with a headband of bandage after some very smart work by Blair’s physio. When play resumed, Grant stepped up… and how! A ball was played into the striker and as he chested the ball down, his angled volley flew over Hall and into the top corner of the net and as the ball ran down the back join of the goal, Grant raced away to receive the adulation of the vast majority of the 200 crowd. 

Gillman was rightly replaced by Ashley Sains as the second period began and half time seemed to take the pace out of the game – Simpsons drive narrowly wide after the hour mark was the first chance of any note unlike the frantic start to the opening half. 

Dales’ equaliser on 67 minutes was all Heywood, as he cut in from the wing beating a couple of defenders before wrong footing Ellis by cleverly shooting back in the direction the run had come from into the bottom right corner of the net. 

The final stages saw both sides have chances to win the game with Harvey Welford’s shot being well saved by Hall’s right boot and Tom Osel’s late driven cross flashing across the face of the home goal with no one able to convert but honours finished just even in the Gillingham sunshine. 

HOLLANDS & BLAIR – Ellis, Edwards, Sheminant, Monger, Bray, Gillman (Sains), Simpson, Tilley (Boichat), Grant, Fisher (West), Barnes (Welford) 

Sub – Wright 

HOLMESDALE – Hall, Macauley, Musoke, Evans, Smart, Murray (Osel), Brown (Wood), Douglas (Orlebar), Heywood, Church (Aldous), Deandre Williams 

Sub – Oghosa Williams 

REFEREE – Mr Bush